The Stanley-Boyd Orioles softball team capped off a standout stretch to close April this past week, earning back-to-back wins over Elk Mound and Bloomer with a mix of dominant pitching, explosive offense, and resilience under pressure.

Starting with the April 28 game, the Orioles overwhelmed Elk Mound 16-0 in a game shortened to six innings. Stanley-Boyd tallied 20 hits and played flawless defense, but the highlight came in the circle where Caitlen Ketterhagen delivered a perfect game, allowing no hits, no walks, and no baserunners. Head coach Kim Goettl emphasized the rarity of the feat, noting that while no-hitters are difficult, perfect games are even more impressive.

“We had a great last week of April on the field,” she said. “Our game against Elk Mound was one for the books. Caitlen Ketterhagen pitched a perfect game, meaning no hits, no errors, no one even on base. A no hitter is very difficult but a perfect game is even more impressive. On the other side of the game we had Kendall Sikora go 3-5 with a home run and 2 doubles, Bailey Sikora went 4-5 with a triple and 2 doubles. Adding to our home run list was Nevaeh Walters and Kelly Lew.”

Two days later meanwhile, Stanley-Boyd faced another test against Bloomer but showed its ability to respond under pressure with a 6-4 victory. The Orioles jumped out to an early lead, using aggressive baserunning to score three runs in the first inning. Bloomer answered with a strong middle stretch, eventually taking the lead as both teams battled cold conditions that kept balls in the field.

Goettl said the adversity was valuable for her team, as Bloomer’s comeback forced the Orioles to regroup and respond.

“Going into the Bloomer game we knew we had to play ‘our’ game,” she said. “We knew they are a talented group who can hit the ball hard. The cold weather kept the ball from in the field. We took an early lead thanks to some amazing base running. Then as expected Bloomer started hitting and took the lead. This was a good moment for us. We needed that as a team. We needed to feel the pressure and work as a team to come back for the win. So proud of all the girls!”

Lew continued her strong week at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Ketterhagen added two hits and an RBI. Contributions came from throughout the lineup, including RBIs from Bailey Sikora and Deanna Wundrow, helping the Orioles hold off Bloomer down the stretch.

The Orioles now face Thorp on Thursday, May 7 at Thorp High School. Game start is 5 p.m.